Chinese Prawns Recipe

This post may contain paid links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

My Chinese Prawns Recipe is a tender prawns stir fry smothered in a homemade sweet and spicy chili sauce! This is an easy prawn dish you will love on a busy weeknight. It takes just 15 minutes to make from start to finish!

Prawn Recipe

This easy prawn dinner idea is a delight in the kitchen, especially if you’re short on time! Once the prawns are in the pan, they take only seconds to cook, turning bright pink when they’re ready to serve.

Prawn recipes like my simple prawns stir fry are so easy to prepare, and their subtle, delicate flavor means they pair well with bolder ingredients like soy sauce and garlic.

It takes just 15 minutes from start to finish to make my easy Chinese prawns recipe, including the sauce! The next time your family craves takeout, make my easy prawn recipe instead.

Fantastic dish! My son even loved it and he is a firefighter with some great culinary skills. So easy to make (which I love!) and fast (besides time to remove the vein out of the prawns). Will make again! Served with rice. Perfect Chinese food night in.

Robin

Prawns Recipe Ingredients

• Frozen prawns: This is one of my favorite frozen prawns recipes. It’s so easy to make and the taste is just fantastic. You can also use frozen shrimp, but keep an eye on them as they may cook more quickly.
• Flour: I’m using all-purpose flour, but because the flour is for thickening the sauce, you can also use gluten-free flour or cornstarch if desired.
• Seasoning: The seasoning for this prawns recipe includes paprika, sesame seeds, and red chili pepper. This gives it a nice balance of savory, spicy, and sweet when combined with the sweet chili sauce.
• Green Onions: Sliced thinly for sprinkling on top.

Sweet Chili Sauce for Prawn Recipes

• Sesame Oil: Adds a bit of sesame flavor to the sauce that is just delicious and balances out the other flavors. Be careful not to add too much!
• Soy Sauce: You can use gluten-free alternatives if necessary, like coconut aminos or Tamari.
• Honey: I always recommend using a local honey if you can. The flavor will be much better!
• Sweet Chili Sauce: We’re enhancing a basic sweet chili sauce, so you’ll want to use your favorite bottled version.
• Rice Wine Vinegar: Cuts through the sweetness with a sharp tang to balance out the flavors.
• Garlic Powder: For a little bit of garlicky flavor without using fresh garlic!

How to Make Chinese Prawns

1. Pat dry thawed raw prawns onto a paper towel to remove any excess water. Place the prawns into a small bowl and sprinkle flour and ground paprika. Mix well to fully coat the prawns.
2. Place a pan on medium heat and add sesame oil. When hot, add in prawns and stir fry for 30 seconds or until pink. Remove from the heat while preparing the sauce.
3. How to make Sweet Chili Sauce: Mix together soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, sweet chili sauce, rice wine vinegar, and garlic powder. Return the pan to the heat and pour the Chinese sauce over the stir-fried prawns. Bring to a simmer, and cook for another 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
4. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the chopped chilli and spring onions.
5. Serve with rice and sprinkle over sesame seeds (optional). Enjoy!

Prawn Recipes Tips

• I recommend using olive oil or canola oil if you need a substitute for the sesame oil.
• Try serving these stir fry prawns over rice, noodles, or with thin cut vegetables, like carrots and cucumbers cut julienne!
• Frozen prawns or shrimp work best. They taste just as delicious and you don’t have to peel them yourself, so you save a lot of time and hassle. It’s a win-win!
• If you like your Chinese prawns recipe extra spicy, try adding a dash of red pepper flakes.

Prawn vs. shrimp: which should I use?

You can use shrimp and prawns interchangeably for this simple prawn recipe and others, but Asian prawn recipes are so delicious, I guarantee you will want to give it a try with prawns first.

Fresh or frozen prawns?

Most prawns are frozen at some point when you buy them at the store. I recommend using frozen prawns as they are much easier to cook, no peeling required⁠, and the taste is just as delicious! If you’re using shrimp, I recommend the same.

Recipe with Prawns FAQ

Recipes with Prawns

• Shumai Recipe
• Shrimp Linguine
• Portuguese Empanadas
• Shrimp Bisque

What to Serve with Prawns Stir Fry

• White Rice
• Orzo Pasta
• Asparagus Fries
• Asian Coleslaw
• Blistered Shishito Peppers

Try my Easy Mongolian Beef next!

Recipe

Chinese Prawns Recipe

Isabel Laessig

The best tender and juicy Prawns Stir Fry, smothered in a homemade sweet and spicy chili sauce! This delicious prawn dish is all you need for a busy weeknight. From start to finish, it only takes 15 minutes to make!

4.89 from 44 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share by Email

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Appetizer or main dish

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 2 people

Calories 337 kcal

Equipment

• Pan
• Bowl for mixing

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ½ pound prawns or shrimp we recommend buying frozen prawns or shrimp
• 1½ Tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika

Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe

• ½ Tablespoon sesame oil for frying
• 3 Tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil for the sauce
• 1 Tablespoon sweet chili sauce
• Splash rice wine vinegar
• ½ Tablespoon granulated garlic or powdered garlic

To Serve

• Sprinkle sesame seeds
• 1 red chili pepper finely chopped
• 3 spring onions roughly chopped

Instructions

 

• Pat thawed raw prawns dry with a paper towel to remove excess water.
  ½ pound prawns or shrimp
• Place the prawns into a small bowl. Sprinkle flour and ground paprika over the prawns, then mix to fully coat them with the flour and paprika.
  1½ Tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon ground paprika
• Heat a pawn on the stove over medium. Add sesame oil.
  ½ Tablespoon sesame oil
• Once hot, add the prawns to the pan. Stir fry for 30 seconds or until just pink. Remove them from the heat.
• In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, sweet chili sauce, rice wine vinegar, and garlic powder until fully combined.
  3 Tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 Tablespoon honey, 1 Tablespoon sesame oil, 1 Tablespoon sweet chili sauce, Splash rice wine vinegar, ½ Tablespoon granulated garlic
• Return the pan to the heat. Pour the sauce over the prawns and bring it to a simmer. Once simmering, cook for another 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
• When the sauce has thickened, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in chopped chili and spring onions.
  1 red chili pepper, 3 spring onions
• Serve with rice and sprinkle sesame seeds over top (optional). Enjoy!
  Sprinkle sesame seeds

Final StepPlease leave a rating and comment below to tell me what you think of the recipe! This helps me know which recipes you’re looking for, so I can continue to provide you with high-quality recipes at no cost.

Video

Notes

• Need a substitute for sesame oil? I recommend olive oil or canola oil if desired.
• We recommend serving these stir fry prawns over rice, noodles, or with thin cut vegetables, like carrots and cucumbers cut julienne!
• Frozen prawns or shrimp work best. They taste just as delicious and you don’t have to peel them yourself, so you save a lot of time and hassle. It’s a win-win!
• If you like your Chinese prawns’ recipe extra spicy, try adding a dash of red pepper flakes.

Nutrition

Calories: 337kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 28gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 286mgSodium: 2203mgPotassium: 360mgFiber: 2gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 1608IUVitamin C: 40mgCalcium: 183mgIron: 5mg

Keyword Chinese Prawns, prawn dishes, prawn recipes, Prawns Stir Fry, recipes with prawns, simple prawn recipes